Why Dan Hurley should avoid the Lakers job and remain at UConn

As the NBA Finals are underway, the offseason is too for the other 28 teams in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers are among the few teams having to find a new head coach after a disappointing postseason. However, that can change quickly in the 2024-25 campaign with a superstar-laden Lakers roster, hopefully with the return of LeBron James, and the right head coaching hire.

One name the Lakers are heavily interested in is national championship-winning UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley. Hurley is the best candidate attached to the Lakers job. There are even reports that Hurley could make his decision on Monday.

While the opportunity to coach one of the best franchises in professional sports may seem like the best outcome, remaining at UConn might be the best option for Hurley, even if that's obviously not the case for the Lakers.

Dan Hurley should remember: Not all great college coaches work in the NBA

Hurley is one of the best coaches in college basketball, not only because he's incredibly smart but also because he coaches his players extremely hard. He demands the most out of all his players, from stars to bench players. There aren’t many coaches in the NBA who can consistently yell and scream for their players to perform well night in and night out in an 82-game season plus the postseason.

Further complicating that stylistic clash with the NBA is the leadership on the Lakers. If LeBron, who we've seen have multiple fallouts with coaches in his career, returns to LA this offseason, he will still have a major voice in the room. With the strong-willed style of Hurley, it could be a ticking time bomb if there's not immediate success mixing these factors together.

After winning back-to-back national championships at UConn the past two seasons, there is no guarantee that success would continue or translate in the NBA. We've seen the likes of Rick Pitino and many other fail at the pro level after making the jump before, and Hurley could be the latest in that unfortunately line.

Dan Hurley won’t have control with the Lakers

When healthy, there's no reason to believe the Lakers can't contend, even in the loaded Western Conference. Especially if James re-enters the fray, they could be a championship-caliber team. However, LeBron's presence creates an odd dynamic of control. Unlike many other coaches in the league, Hurley would enter a position where he might be third in the decision-making process behind LeBron and the front office in some order.

Let's not forget also that Hurley or anyone who is hired to be the Lakers head coach comes in with championship expectations. Frank Vogel led LA to a title in the 2020 bubble and had two playoff runs and was still fired after three seasons. Darvin Ham was prematurely fired after two seasons despite improper roster building being the biggest issue he faced, leading to a first-round playoff exit against the Denver Nuggets this year after a Western Conference Finals run in his first season, 2022-23.

Hurley would have so many obstacles to overcome with the Lakers in the quest for a championship beyond just a loaded conference they'd be up against. If something goes wrong, Hurley would be the first to go. Given the good will he's built up at UConn, he wouldn't face such pressure staying put.